Colorado Senate Candidate Agenda Analysis: Darryl Glenn

State Funding of Education: “Every year, Colorado sends millions of dollars to Washington, DC, to the Department of Education. ... [Glenn] believe[s] those dollars should be returned to Colorado so parents, teachers and superintendents have the freedom to make choices and direct the education of their kids.” (source)

Cost per year: -$617 million (-$3.085 billion over five years)

Notes: NTUF assumes that Glenn would eliminate the Department of Education (DoE) and direct existing grant funding directly to the states. The entire DoE budget in FY 2015 was $103.3 billion, of which $71.3 billionwas designated for state grants. Based on Glenn’s statement, NTUF assumes that he would convert existing funds (to the states) into block grants and reduce the size of the DoE’s bureaucracy. There are approximately 4,200 full-time equivalents (FTEs) employed at the Department of Education. Based on data available pertaining to the office of Program Administration, the average personnel, benefits, and non-personnel (including such items as travel, rent, mail, telephones, utilities, printing, IT, contractual services, equipment, supplies, and other departmental services) costs $220,849 per FTE. Based on this, the total annual personnel and administrative costs could run upwards of approximately $926 million. NTUF assumes the workforce of the DoE would be drawn down to 10 percent of its current level over the next five years, saving $315 million in the first year and $834 million in the fifth year.

Notes: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has not completed their analysis of all of the spending related to President Obama’s signature health care law. A January 2016 CBO estimate of repealing the Affordable Care Act showed that direct spending would be reduced by $470.2 billion over five years. There are potentially additional unreported discretionary savings.

Affordable Care Act - Replace: “[T]his law must be replaced with a more commonsense approach to healthcare that includes tort reform, permitting insurance to be purchased across state lines, and improving public health to decrease the demand for medical care.” (source)

Cost per year: -$3.34 billion (-$16.7 billion over 5 year)

Notes: Glenn has specified three elements of a replacement plan:

Tort Reform: “[T]his law must be replaced with a more commonsense approach to healthcare that includes tort reform… .” (source)

Health Insurance Across State Lines: “[T]his law must be replaced with a more commonsense approach to healthcare that includes… permitting insurance to be purchased across state lines.” (source)

Cost per year: $38 million ($191 million over five years)

Notes: Related legislation was introduced in Congress that would allow for the purchase of health insurance across state lines. Currently, a 1945 law permits the states to regulate health insurance plans within their borders; however, there is an exemption for certain large employers who are self-insured. The Congressional Budget Office conducted a cost estimate for H.R. 2355 (109th Congress), the Health Care Choice Act of 2005 which would provide for cooperative governing of individual insurance coverage offered in interstate commerce. At the time, CBO estimated that the bill would increase spending by $160 million over five years ($191 million adjusted for inflation). It is unclear whether this cost estimate would be higher or lower today since calculations were made prior to the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Improving Public Health: “ … [T]his law must be replaced with a more commonsense approach to healthcare that includes ... improving public health to decrease the demand for medical care.”

Cost per Year: Indeterminate

Notes: It is unclear what Glenn means by this so a cost estimate is indeterminate.

Health Savings Accounts: “We need to encourage more savings so you can have a health savings account [sic].” (October 11 debate)

Cost per year: Indeterminate

Notes: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) allow an individual to set aside money, tax-free, towards health expenses. A related, detailed proposal from the Center for Health and Economy (CHE) to replace the Affordable Care Act includes flexible savings accounts and health savings accounts. CHE’s plan would create a one-time $1,000 refundable credit for HSA enrollees. Refundable credits can be claimed regardless of a filer’s income tax liability, and as a result would increase federal spending. CHE estimated this reform’s total cost (revenue loss and outlays combined) would be $70 billion over ten years. An outlay estimate is unavailable.

Government Reform

Tax Reform: “Our tax system must be transformed around two basic elements: simplicity and neutrality. We need to focus on adopting a fair or flat tax policy that positively impacts job creation and promotes innovation without penalizing personal savings and investments.” (source)

Cost per Year: Indeterminate

Notes: A simplified tax system could lead to savings in the enforcement budget of the IRS, but a cost estimate is indeterminate.

National Defense and Foreign Affairs

Islamic State: “The best solution to eradicating Islamic jihadists is to empower our military commanders to use the multi-national resources available to them and eliminate the threat. This includes putting troops on the ground. The politicians in Washington DC and other nation’s capitals play a necessary role in providing funding, resources, and intelligence to their military commanders.” (source)

Cost per year: Indeterminate

Notes: A cost estimate for Glenn’s plan is indeterminate. In 2014, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment analyzed a range of policy options and their potential impact on spending. The cost of U.S. military operations against ISIL through September 24 is likely between $780 and $930 million. The cost of future operations depends primarily on the length of engagement, the intensity of air operations, and whether additional ground forces are deployed beyond what is already planned. Assuming a moderate level of air operations and an additional 2,000 deployed ground forces, the costs would likely run between $200 and $320 million per month. If air operations are conducted at a higher pace and 5,000 ground forces are deployed, the costs would be between $350 and $570 million per month. If operations expand significantly to include the deployment of 25,000 U.S. troops on the ground, as some have recommended, costs would likely reach $1.1 to $1.8 billion per month. On an annualized basis, the lower-intensity air operations could cost $2.4 to $3.8 billion per year, the higher-intensity air operations could cost $4.2 to $6.8 billion per year, and deployment of a larger ground contingent could drive annual costs as high as $13 to $22 billion.

National Defense: “As your Senator, I will fight to ensure that the necessary resources are provided for the common defense of our country. I… Now is not the time to reduce our military capability and negatively impact our readiness. … Sequestration … limiting the funds available to our military is not the appropriate approach! We need responsible restraint through analysis and reengineering of structure, policies, and procedures for better efficiency and effectiveness.” (source)

Cost per Year: Indeterminate

Notes: According to the Congressional Budget Office’s Final Sequestration Report for Fiscal Year 2016 the automatic budget reductions (known as the sequester) for Fiscal Years 2018 through 2021 are scheduled to cut non-defense spending by $35.893 billion, and defense spending by $53.955 billion. It is unclear whether Glenn supports repeal of the defense sequester.

Sanctions - Iran: “I will support withdrawal from the treaty, reimposition of tough sanctions, and a tightening of restrictions on senior Iranian leadership.” (source)

Cost per year: Indeterminate

Notes: The Iran Sanctions Relief Oversight Act (introduced as S. 1682) would extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 for ten years through December 2026. There could be increased administrative costs, but a cost estimate is not available.

Notes: Legislation introduced as S. 744 (113th Congress), the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act would streamline and overhaul costs for the immigration system and increase border security and infrastructure. The border security provisions of S. 744 would total $12 billion over the first five years.

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